Today’s devotions w/ Debby:
As I read the opening verses of Psalm 102, I wonder how many of you can relate? In verse 4 the psalmist forgets to eat; in verse 7 he can’t sleep and just lies awake. Again, in verse 7, he is “like a lonely sparrow on the housetop”. Is the reason for these physical symptoms of lack of appetite, sleeplessness and loneliness the result of how he is being treated by another? In verse 8, he says that all his enemies taunt and deride him. When someone derides us, they are laughing at us in contempt. They ridicule us; mock us and treat us with scorn by laughter. Because we are embodied souls, it is true that we will suffer physically when we are being treated badly by another…especially if it is someone whom we love or have trusted. But it is so important to do what the psalmist does in this psalm. He turns to the Lord and pours out his complaints before Him. We see a turn in the psalm in verse 12.
Verse 12 starts with the word, “But” This word shifts the direction of the psalm. When we honestly take and pour out our complaints to the Lord, by His Spirit, He will cause this shift to happen in our hearts. As I have shared before, don’t just complain to yourself or to your friends; but take them to the Lord in prayer. As you do, expect God, by His Spirit to make a similar shift in your heart.
In v 12, the psalmist begins to think about the greatness of God who has promised to be with his people throughout every generation (v12), to have pity on them (v13) and to regard their prayers (v17). Our enemies may despise us, but the Lord does not despise us (v17). He hears our groans and sets us free (v20). Finally in verse 28, he promises that we, his children, will dwell secure and our offspring shall be established before him. And because Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (v27) then what God did for Israel, He will do for us.
In the midst of your suffering, how aware are you that God is with you? Do you know that He sympathizes and sorrows with you? And do you know that He will answer your prayers in His perfect timing and His perfect way, which so often is not our timing and not necessarily the way we want our prayers answered? However, often when we gain some distance, we can see God’s goodness in His timing and the wisdom in the way He has answered. I urge you and pray for you today that you will keep pouring your heart out to the Lord and that He will meet you with His presence and His compassion and you will feel secure in Him.
